Hydraulic turbo couplings



April 12,1966 J. BILTON 3,

- HYDRAULIC TURBO COUPLINGS Filed Oct. 9, 1964 z Sheets-Sheet 1ATTORNEY);

April 12, 1966 Filed 001.. 9, 1964 J. BILTON HYDRAULIC TURBO COUPLINGSSE'PA RATOR 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 o. 5 a u ii a. Q 5 V) INVENTOR W1, 6% ayg/wflmw A 7702mm United States Patent 3,245,220 HYDRAULIC TURBO COUPLINGSJohn Bilton, Hampton, England, assignor to Fluidrive Engineering CompanyLimited, Isleworth, Middlesex, England Filed Oct. 9, 1964, Ser. No.402,761 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 16, 1963,40,921/ 63 4 Claims. (Cl. 60-54) This invention relates to scoop-trimmedturbo couplings, that is to say hydraulic turbo couplings comprisingvaned impeller and runner elements which together define a toroidalworking circuit for liquid, a casing connected to the impeller forrotation therewith and extending round the runner, a scoop chamberconnected to the impeller or the impeller casing for rotation therewith,the outer parts of the working circuit being in free com munication withthe scoop chamber, an adjustable scoop tube extending into the scoopchamber and arranged to trim off liquid from the scoop chamber into asump and means for returning liquid from the sump to the workingcircuit. Scoop-trimmed couplings are particularly suitable for providingvariable slip at comparatively high speeds, for example at 3,000 rpm.

In operation of such couplings, particularly when the working circuit isonly partially filled with working liquid, appreciable aeration of theliquid occurs. The liquid trimmed off by the scoop into the sumptherefore contains an appreciable quantity of air and this may not havetime to escape from the liquid before it is returned to the Workingcircuit, for example through a pump. The presence of air in the liquidreduces the efiiciency of the pump and also reduces the degree offilling of the working circuit to a value below that intended for agiven setting of the scoop tube.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal section of a preferred embodiment and FIG. 2 is across-section in the direction of the arrows 22 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the coupling shown includes a vanedimpeller and a vaned runner 2 which together define a toroidal Workingcircuit. An impeller casing 3 enclosing the runner 2 and a scoop chamber4 are bolted to each other and pinned to the impeller.

The impeller casing 3 is bolted to a flange 5 at one end of an inputshaft 6 which is supported in a ball bearing 7 in a front wall 8 of astationary casing 9 which totally encloses all the working parts of thecoupling.

The runner 2 is bolted to a flange 10 on an output shaft 11 supported ina ball bearing 12 in a cover 13 closing a circular opening in the rearWall 15 of the casing 9.

The hub of the cover 13 extends inwards into the casing interior to forma scoop tube housing 16 and to support in a ball bearing 17 an impellersleeve 18 having a flange 19 bolted to the hub of the impeller 1.

An annular filling port 20 is defined between the impeller sleeve 18 andthe output shaft 11 and serves to convey liquid from a filling chamber21 to an annular recess 22 in the impeller hub. The liquid enters theworking circuit from the recess 22 through filling passages 23 in theimpeller hub.

A reduced diameter portion 24 on the end of the output shaft 11 issupported in a ball bearing 25 carried in the flange 5. Liquid is fedfrom the recess 22 to the bearing 25 by lubrication scoop tubes 26carried by the output shaft 11. These scoop tubes deliver oil at a ratedependent on the amount of slip, that is the difference 3,245,220Patented Apr. 12, 1966 in the revolutions per minute between theimpeller and the runner.

A pair of horizontal trimming scoops 27 and 28 are mounted for slidingmovement in bores in the scoop tube housing 16 and carry a de-aeratingchamber 29 which moves with the scoop tubes 27 and 28.

The mouths 30 and 31 of the scoop tubes 27 and 28 form scoping orificesarranged to trim 01f liquid from the chamber 4, each mouth beingeffective for one direction of rotation of the impeller, thus renderingthe coupling suitable for use with a reversing motor or engine, and alsosimplifying the supply of such couplings from stock since they areimmediately available for use for either direction of rotation. Liquidcollected by either scoop tube enters the de-aerator chamber 29tangentially at a speed to form a fast moving rotating film on the wallthereof, thus giving entrained air a good opportunity to escape bycentrifugal separation.

The de-aerated liquid leaves the chamber 29 through orifices 32 whichare below the surface of the liquid in the bottom of the casing 9 whichforms a sump 33. The air released by the liquid escapes through an airescape tube 32a fixed in the upper part of the de-aeration chamber 29coaxially therewith.

Liquid is returned to the filling chamber 21 (through a cooler ifdesired) and thence to the working circuit by a pump 34 driven by a gear35 meshing with a gear 36 on the input shaft. The pump is bidirectionaland has a suction inlet pipe 37 preferably fitted with a strainer.

In the position shown in the drawings, the operative scoop tube willmaintain the working circuit substantially empty so that the couplingwould transmit little if any torque.

To increase the transmitted torque, the scoop tubes and de-aeratorchamber 29 are moved to the right (FIG. 2) by sliding movement of acontrol rod 38 which carries a guide block 39 formed with a guidechannel which embraces a roller 40 mounted for rotation on a pin 41carried by a lug 42 on the chamber 29.

The control rod 38 is of rectangular section and slides in acorresponding guideway 43 in an upstanding web 44 carried by the top ofthe scoop tube housing 16. Movement of the control rod to the right(FIGURE 2) moves the guide block 39 with it. The engagement of theroller 40 in the guide channel of the guide block 39 constrains theassembly comprising the scoop tubes 30 and 31 and the de-aerationchamber 29 to move to the right also. Since the scoop tubes 30 and 31move at an angle to the direction of movement of the control rod 38, thelatter being at right angles to the coupling axis, the roller 40 travelsalong the guide channel in the guide block 39. The scoop tubes 30 and 31are thus progressively withdrawn from the scoop chamber 4 so that thequantity of working liquid remaining in the working chamber isprogressively increased, thus increasing the torque transmitted by thecoupling.

Correspondingly, movement of the control rod 38 to the left (FIGURE 2)moves the scoop tubes further into the scoop chamber thereby reducingthe quantity of liquid in the working circuit and thus reducing thetorque transmitted by the coupling.

What is claimed is:

1. A scoop-trimmed hydraulic turbo-coupling comprising:

impeller and runner elements, said impeller and runner elements togetherdefining a toroidal working circuit for liquid; an impeller casingconnected to said impeller for rotation therewith, said casing extendingaround said runner;

a scoop chamber connected for rotation with said impeller, the radiallyouter partion of said working circuit being in free communication withsaid scoop chamber;

an adjustable scoop tube extending into said scoop chamber andpositioned to trim off liquid from said scoop chamber;

a sump adapted to hold a body of said liquid;

a de-aeration chamber having an outlet discharging into said sump, saidde-aeration chamber having an internal wall surface in the form of asurface of revolution and having an inlet arranged to discharge liquidfrom said scoop onto said Wall surface in a direction having a componenttangential to said wall surface, said de-aeration chamber including anair outlet;

and means for returning liquid from said sump to said working circuit.2. A hydraulic turbo-coupling according to claim 1 and including astationary casing totally encasing said impeller and runner elements,said impeller casing, scoop chamber, scoop tube and de-aeration chamber,the lower part of said casing forming said sump and said de-aerationchamber being secured to said scoop tube for movement therewith.

3. A hydraulic turbo-coupling according to claim 1 wherein saidde-aeration chamber includes an air escape tube extending in an axialdirection in the region of sai scoop tube discharge inlet andcommunicating with said air outlet.

4. A scoop-trimmed hydraulic turbo-coupling comprising:

vaned impeller and runner elements together defining a toroidal Workingcircuit for liquid;

an impeller casing connected to said imepller for rotation therewith,said casing extending around said runner; V p

a scoop chamber connected for rotation with said impeller, the radiallyouter portion of said Working circuit being in free communication withsaid scoop chamber;

an adjustable scoop tube extending into said scoop chamber andpositioned to trim 01f liquid from said scoop chamber as said scoopchamber rotates;

a stationary casing totally encasing said impeller and runner elementsand said impeller casing, scoop chamber and scoop tube the lower part ofsaid stationary casing forming a sump;

a substantially cylindrical de-aeration chamber secured to the dischargeend of said scoop tube, for movement with said scoop tube within saidstationary casing, the axis of said de-aeration chamber beingsubstantially vertical, said scoop tube discharging into the upper partof said de-aeration chamber in a substantially tangential directionadjacent the inner wall thereof to form a rotating oil film on saidinner wall, said de-aeration chamber including an air escape tubeextending coaxially withthe de-aeration' chamber in the region of thedischarge end of the scoop tube, said air escape tube opening at itsupper end into the interior of the stationary casing;

and means for returning from said sump to said working circuit, liquidwhich is discharged from said scoop tube through saidde-aeration chamberinto said sump.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,491,483 12/1949Dolza et al 54 2,652,688 9/1953 Hudyma et al 6054 2,784,555 3/1957Anderson 6054 3,157,478 11/1964 Edwards 601 X 3,157,999 11/1964 Nelson6054 JULIUS E. \VEST, Primary Examiner.

1. A SCOOP-TRIMMED HYDRAULIC TURBO-COUPLING COMPRISING: IMPELLER ANDRUNNER ELEMENTS, SAID IMPELLER AND SAID RUNNER ELEMENTS TOGETHERDEFINING A TOROIDAL WORKING CIRCUIT FOR LIQUID; AN IMPELLER CASINGCONNECTED TO SAID IMPELLER FOR ROTATION THEREWITH SAID CASING EXTENDINGAROUND SAID RUNNER; A SCOOP CHAMBER CONNECTED FOR ROTATION WITH SAIDIMPELLER, THE RADIALLY OUTER PARTION OF SAID WORKING CIRCUIT BEING INFREE COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SCOOP CHAMBER; AN ADJUSTABLE SCOOP TUBEEXTENDING INTO SAID SCOOP CHAMBER AND POSITIONED TO TRIM OFF LIQUID FROMSAID SCOOP CHAMBER;